News
After nearly a half century, Ellis and Holt returned to A Joker’s Memory with material for the B-side.
[Birthday Boy] "Ezra Cook at Anacrusis/Bandora Music new cover records by The Spinners (Love Is One Step Away), Buzz Cason Birthday Boy") ... Cook also recently closed sub-publishing deals ... New signings include writers James Holt/Chris Ellis."
- Record World October 1, 1977
[A Joker's Memory] "Few - like A Joker's Memory - are so poised and polished. There is a certain youthfulness and lack of experience evident with A Joker's Memory but there is a surprising maturity and attention to detail here that proves intriguing and deceptive."
- The Ottawa Citizen, by Bill Provick, July 1976
[Birthday Boy] "Early regional airplay indicates such favorite cuts as 'Birthday Boy,' 'Emmylou' and 'Don't Let Your Love Run Out On Me.'"
- Billboard, by Gerry Wood, September 17, 1977
[A Joker's Memory] "Almost everybody liked the album. It was that simple. ....One caller said 'Well, I like it very much but we already have a group known as Yes. Another person phoned up and said 'Yes, I like it but we already have one Genesis. And, believe it or not, I had a third phone call from someone saying ‘We already have one Renaissance.' Well, that's sort of nice to be compared to those three bands.”
- Ottawa DJ Jeff Winter debuts A Joker's Memory on CKOY, July 1976
[Birthday Boy] "... armed with a demo album and three additional songs on tape, they made the rounds of the city's publishers. Upon their return, they received a call from Ezra Cook of Bandora Music (BMI), who contracted for publishing rights to the one song. Bandora subsequently signed a worldwide sub-publishing agreement with DJM. The result of the deal was the Cason cover of Birthday Boy ... Ontario market stations are already playing the single. The song is being picked by
US AOR stations in Denver, Jacksonville, Utica and Dallas as well for airplay.”
- RPM Magazine, November 5, 1977
